These days, private residences and government offices are not the only structures that are getting greener by the day: commercial establishments such as rental properties are joining the trend, too. And because the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change have made it clear how critical saving money and being kind to nature is, rental managers or owners like you should find ways to make things eco-friendlier on the rental property.
Fortunately, there are several straightforward and effective tricks to turning rentals into a greener place. Here are seven hacks to make your rental property more earth-friendly:
Invest in smart thermostats
If you’re running a multi-unit rental property management franchise, your overall monthly electrical bills must be through the roof, especially during the winter and summer months. And a big part of any rental property’s regular power use is for heating and cooling. As such, be sure to gradually replace the regular thermostats in the individual units with smart thermostats that can be programmed and controlled via a dedicated mobile app.
While a smart thermostat may be significantly pricier than a traditional one, it is way more economical and eco-friendlier. Not only does programming the thermostat to automatically heat or cool the unit in pre-set hours very convenient, but it is also energy-saving. Just ask some family or friends who have smart thermostats in their homes, and they’ll surely say the same thing.
Install ENERGY STAR home appliances
The federal government launched the ENERGY STAR label through the Environmental Protection AGENCY (EPA) to lower harmful greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) due to inefficient energy use, as well as to guide consumers to purchase energy-efficient, reliable, and feature-packed home appliances.
Thus, be sure to invest in appliances with high ENERGY STAR ratings on them, as it would contribute to lowering down your total monthly power usage, plus serving as your small way of treating the earth more kindly.
Think eco-friendly lighting
Your rental property should be well-lit but not to the point of being a power-hungry place. One way to ensure this is to use CFLs and LEDs in all units, corridors, and common areas. These lighting options have been proven to last longer, consume lower electricity, and treat the environment significantly better than incandescents.
With these features and benefits, there’s no logical reason for you to continue using incandescents and not make the shift to CFLs and LEDs.
Install low-flow showerheads and faucet caps
Every day, your tenants have to take a shower or wash the dishes, which could add up to a significant water consumption at the end of each month. And, as you probably know fully well, water is perhaps the world’s most precious natural resource. While the earth is pretty much made up of water with its vast and numerous oceans, seas, rivers, and lakes, not all of these water sources are potable or infinite.
Knowing this, you should fit your rental property’s units with low-flow showerheads and faucet caps to help your tenants save water. Not only will they pay a significantly smaller amount each month, but your rental property will also contribute to the global efforts to save such a finite and precious resource.
Invest in solar energy
Another big investment that you have to make if you really want to make your home greener is to invest in solar energy. These days, there have been significant leaps in solar power technology as solar panels have become more powerful, longer-lasting, and cheaper to mass-produce. There are even DIY-kits that any savvy property owner can buy and install using some small tools.
While it’s true that initially, shifting your rental property’s energy source from the local service provider into an off-grid setup is an expensive affair, the long-term savings, and benefits to the environment are what makes the investment totally worth it. You can approach this wholesale if you have the money to spare or do it piecemeal instead, powering one unit after another using solar energy.
Install dual-flush converters
Flushing consumes large volumes of water every single time, which is something that’s not ideal if you’re after sustainability. One simple trick is to install dual-flush converters in your tenants’ toilets to help lower their monthly water bills and just be kinder to nature.
Insulate properly
Proper insulation is a way to turn any property into a greener zone. Whether it’s the ceilings, walls, windows, or doors, keeping the cool air during summer and warm air in winter is a great leap in making your rental property more eco-friendly. Just have your maintenance team caulk and seal all air leaks and ensure excellent insulation in all units to achieve lower monthly power consumption.
With these seven simple tricks, you can easily make your home more earth-friendly several times over.
